I came into ACLC following friends and not education; I blew off homework and didn’t pay attention in class, and my grades reflected it. But
I´ve always prided myself on fixing my mistakes and learning from error, and I got better every year. I’ve developed as a person and student through my experiences with my class and the faculty and I’ve been enriched by the curriculum at ACLC.
In my early days at ACLC, I was a slacker. I didn't think school was educating me, so I didn't do the work, and it was a really bad idea. My junior year, I started taking responsibility for my success and managing my time, and it was the best set of grades I’ve ever had. By the end of my Junior year, I had developed some self-confidence and now in my Senior year I’m taking honors classes as well as college classes and doing well in both.
English has always been my favorite class, even if I didn’t always do so well in it. I've always had my nose in a book and it's one of my great pleasures to find hidden intricacies in texts. Science fiction is my favorite genre with authors like H.G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon. If I had to choose a second favorite subject, it would have to be music, even though public schools no longer teach it. I’ve been enrolled with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra going on five years, and rehearsal is my favorite academic activity. I'm a percussionist, and they say that all percussionists do it wait, but the time where we can simply sit and listen and appreciate the music is the best part of being a musician. Academically, I think music and performing has really improved my public speaking. I’m not a very outgoing person, but on a stage or in front of a crowd I shine, gaining concision and confidence, and I think a lot of this comes from my experience as a musician and performer.
I've never been a “normal” learner; it's always been my philosophy that the school system is here to benefit me, so I should never have to adapt to it. Because of that, I've always been pushing to get what I need from the public education system. A great example of this is when I tried to integrate my Independent PE into my everyday life. My teacher rejected what I was trying to do because it didn't require a coach, but I pushed and eventually I was able to do what I dreamed of being able to do. And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without proficiency in compromising and decision making. It was an uphill battle getting a grade in the PE class, but I compromised by agreeing to get a pedometer.
I’ve never been a fan of competitive sports, I tend to like individual assignments more than group work, and I’m more on the introverted side of the spectrum than the extraverted. But when I play with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, with everybody participating and cooperating to make beautiful music, I find it easier to to work with others. In the Orchestra, I have the position of Section leader, where I help the other members of my section with any problems they have and do a lot of the organizational tasks. If they have any problems or questions, they come to me to solve them. In terms of diversity, I’ve lived in Oakland and for all of my life. My Mom’s house is in a mostly Chinese neighborhood, my Dad’s house is in a mostly Black and Hispanic neighborhood and I went to inner city elementary and middle schools with many students of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
When it comes to technology, I’m not Superman. I couldn’t write code or build a computer, but I am technology literate. I often use my phone in class, not for goofing off, but for instance in the pre-calculus class of my Junior year I was able to download a graphing calculator onto my phone and use it as a resource in class. I also use technology in my daily life to organize my schedule and communicate with employers and teachers.
Overall, my years at ACLC have been some of the best in my life. I've built not only academic skills, but real world skills that will serve me as long as I live. I've grown not only as a student but as a person, with the help of my amazing facilitators, councilors and school staff, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
I´ve always prided myself on fixing my mistakes and learning from error, and I got better every year. I’ve developed as a person and student through my experiences with my class and the faculty and I’ve been enriched by the curriculum at ACLC.
In my early days at ACLC, I was a slacker. I didn't think school was educating me, so I didn't do the work, and it was a really bad idea. My junior year, I started taking responsibility for my success and managing my time, and it was the best set of grades I’ve ever had. By the end of my Junior year, I had developed some self-confidence and now in my Senior year I’m taking honors classes as well as college classes and doing well in both.
English has always been my favorite class, even if I didn’t always do so well in it. I've always had my nose in a book and it's one of my great pleasures to find hidden intricacies in texts. Science fiction is my favorite genre with authors like H.G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon. If I had to choose a second favorite subject, it would have to be music, even though public schools no longer teach it. I’ve been enrolled with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra going on five years, and rehearsal is my favorite academic activity. I'm a percussionist, and they say that all percussionists do it wait, but the time where we can simply sit and listen and appreciate the music is the best part of being a musician. Academically, I think music and performing has really improved my public speaking. I’m not a very outgoing person, but on a stage or in front of a crowd I shine, gaining concision and confidence, and I think a lot of this comes from my experience as a musician and performer.
I've never been a “normal” learner; it's always been my philosophy that the school system is here to benefit me, so I should never have to adapt to it. Because of that, I've always been pushing to get what I need from the public education system. A great example of this is when I tried to integrate my Independent PE into my everyday life. My teacher rejected what I was trying to do because it didn't require a coach, but I pushed and eventually I was able to do what I dreamed of being able to do. And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without proficiency in compromising and decision making. It was an uphill battle getting a grade in the PE class, but I compromised by agreeing to get a pedometer.
I’ve never been a fan of competitive sports, I tend to like individual assignments more than group work, and I’m more on the introverted side of the spectrum than the extraverted. But when I play with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, with everybody participating and cooperating to make beautiful music, I find it easier to to work with others. In the Orchestra, I have the position of Section leader, where I help the other members of my section with any problems they have and do a lot of the organizational tasks. If they have any problems or questions, they come to me to solve them. In terms of diversity, I’ve lived in Oakland and for all of my life. My Mom’s house is in a mostly Chinese neighborhood, my Dad’s house is in a mostly Black and Hispanic neighborhood and I went to inner city elementary and middle schools with many students of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
When it comes to technology, I’m not Superman. I couldn’t write code or build a computer, but I am technology literate. I often use my phone in class, not for goofing off, but for instance in the pre-calculus class of my Junior year I was able to download a graphing calculator onto my phone and use it as a resource in class. I also use technology in my daily life to organize my schedule and communicate with employers and teachers.
Overall, my years at ACLC have been some of the best in my life. I've built not only academic skills, but real world skills that will serve me as long as I live. I've grown not only as a student but as a person, with the help of my amazing facilitators, councilors and school staff, and I wouldn't change it for the world.